The Charger was a mid-sized Coronet with a fastback roof and richer interior. Dodge called it a “Sports Sedan.” It was designed so young dads could say they were buying a “station wagon.” The Charger looked long, low, and wide, with hidden headlights and wall-to-wall taillights. There was a small round emblem on the grille and a larger one on the deck.

Production included 468 Hemis, and 218 had the TorqueFlite. NASCAR drivers thought the fastback would be aerodynamic, but it lifted the rear, a problem solved with a small rear spoiler. Then, Chargers won 18 races.

1967 Chargers reflected Dodge’s racing image with new fender-mounted turn signals and a few added chrome bits. The center console became an option and now ended just behind the front seats.

The 360 V-8 was dropped. Standard was a lighter weight 318-cid, 230-hp V-8 good for 0 to 60 mph in 10.9 seconds. There were two 383 V-8s, standard and high-performance. A new 440 V-8 was good for 0 to 60 in 8 seconds and a 15.5-second quarter at 93 mph.

1967 Chargers are rarer than 1966s. Only 15,788 were built. This included 118 Hemis, and half had four-speeds. Standard colors increased from 16 in 1966 to 18, and a buffed silver blue was a new option. There were six interior colors again, some different. A black or white vinyl top was a new option.

Hidden headlights were continued, and a blacked-out grille was used to give a racing taped-headlight look. A racing-style gas filler was added. Scallops in the hood could be optioned with turn indicators. The doors were also scalloped. There was an integral rear spoiler, a blacked-out beauty panel and two round taillights on each side.

Motor Trend summed up the look of the new R/T model-option as a Charger with a set of mags, Wide Oval tires, and a bumblebee stripe. It also had name badges, heavy-duty underpinnings, and a 440-cid, 375-hp Magnum V-8. This engine was good for 0-to-60 mph in 6.5 seconds and a 15-second quarter at 93 mph.

The 1969 Charger used the 1968 body. Changes included a new divided grille, new horizontal taillights, and new side marker lights. The patterning on the bucket seats changed. The R/T was the high-performance model. Hemi R/Ts sunk in sales, to 400 units (192 with the four-speed). The Charger SE was the sports/luxury model. A limited number of super high-performance Charger 500s were built to fulfill a NASCAR racing requirement. The 500s had a flush grille (not recessed into the oval grille opening), fixed headlights, and a wind-cheating, flush-mounted rear window. Creative Industries, a Detroit aftermarket firm, built these cars. Ford launched the Talladega and Cyclone Spoiler with superior aerodynamics to outrun the slippery Charger 500s. Dodge countered with the Charger Daytona. It had an elongated fiberglass nose covering the standard grille opening and a huge, roof-high decklid spoiler. It was designed to win the championship for Dodge. The Daytona and similar Plymouth Superbird with their Hemi engines could navigate superspeedways at nearly 200 mph. They won so many races that NASCAR outlawed Hemi and wedge V-8s.

The 1970 Charger used the 1969 body with minor trim changes. The hi-po R/T had a new grille, a new loop-style front bumper, two hood scoops, big bolt-on scoops with R/T badges on the rear quarter panels, and a choice of longitudinal or bumble bee racing stripes. A new interior and wild exterior colors were offered. Charger, Charger 500, Charger R/T, and Charger Special Edition models were marketed. The Charger 500 had no aerodynamic enhancements. New options were a pistol grip gear shifter and an electric sunroof. The biggest engine was the 383 four-barrel V-8. An optional version used the 375-hp Dodge Magnum cam, freer flowing heads, and a new cast iron intake with a Holley four-barrel. Dodge built 42 R/Ts with the 426 Hemi. In addition to 13 standard exterior colors, Charger buyers could special order Plum Crazy, Sublime, Go Mango, Hemi Orange, and Banana Yellow paint.